


Meeting

by Katrina



Series: Modernverse [1]
Category: Assassin's Creed
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-06-08
Updated: 2011-06-08
Packaged: 2017-10-20 05:59:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,135
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/209508
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Katrina/pseuds/Katrina
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Leonardo meets an interesting man at the cafe.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Meeting

The debate had been a rather good natured one, so there were no real hard feelings as the man finally had to go. Instead, Leonardo smiled and nodded goodbye, feeling rather pleased.

Of course, when he had come to get his daily dose of sugar and caffeine, the man had not expected to stumble in on a rather loud debate that seemed mostly focused on the possibilities of life on other planets, both alien, and the concept of humans spreading out. For a bit, it had been interesting to listen to, especially as both were in semi-agreement, but coming at it from completely different ways. The one man, Leonardo vaguely recognized from other visits to the cafe. Alessandro something, he couldn’t recall the man’s last name.

The other, though, he didn’t recognize. Not really. There was a bit of a niggling sensation in the back of his mind that said the face was familiar, but he couldn’t place it. Which meant that it wasn’t a face he knew well.

Rather attractive face, though, and Leonardo didn’t mind looking. Man was sporting a nice tan, with dark haired pulled back, and had some rather startling golden eyes. Which were full of good humor as he looked back at Leonardo, obviously giving him the once over.

The man was American, even if he did speak fluent Italian, Leo could hear it in his voice. But he did speak the language well, accent barely there, and was quick enough to keep up with the debate as it had gone on. Broad in the shoulders, his chest was well shown off by the shirt he was wearing. Honestly, Leo really did have to approve of what he was looking at.

After a few moments of studying one another, the man smiled, entire face brightening as he did. Offering a hand, he grinned. “Ezio Casey-Gallagher,” he said finally. “Much appreciation for stepping in back there. I think you managed to make him change his mind.”

“I doubt that,” he said with a chuckle, taking the hand. The grip was firm, but not overly tight. Though he did not fail to notice the slide of fingers in a bit of a caress as Ezio let go. “Leonardo Fruosino. Glad to be of assistance.” He smiled at the man. “It seemed to be the decent thing to do. All of your arguments sounded as if they were coming from old science fiction books.”

Ezio laughed. “Probably because they were. Please, join me for a late lunch? I own you much for your timely rescue.”

With a smile, Leonardo nodded. “Lunch would be nice.”

It did not take long for the two of them to settle at one of the little tables, and to start talking. Leonardo discovered he was right about Ezio’s origins.

“I was born in this country, but I was raised in the US.” Ezio smiled as he poured Leonardo a cup of strong coffee. “My aunt and uncle live in Firenze, along with my three cousins. Mother and Father decided to live here for a year or two, and I love coming back.” He collected his own cup, and sipped at it, the liquid a little pale with all the milk and sugar he put in it. Leonardo nodded, sipping at his own drink. “I have two brothers, though I am the charming one.” A smile, and Ezio leaned in some, eyes focused on Leonardo’s. “Do you speak English?”

“I do,” Leonardo said, switching into the language easily. “Though I must admit, your Italian is quite good.”

“I adore this country, and while I was only two when we moved, I do enjoy visiting. Personally, I think they moved just so that they could continue the trend of having their children born in different countries.” Still leaning forward, he chuckled. “Altair was born in Israel, four years before I was born in Italy. And Iolair.... Sorry, Desmond is what he goes by now, he was born in the States. Luckily, my parents decided three was enough, and I didn’t have to learn any more languages than I know now. Italian and English are enough for me.”

Leonardo nodded, smiling faintly. “All of my siblings and I were born in Italy so far. Though I learned English for schooling.” He knew his accent was a bit...odd at times when speaking to native English speakers, and he saw Ezio’s eyes narrowed, the man obviously trying to place it.

“I must admit, I wonder where you learned your English.” There was delighted curiosity in those gold eyes, and Leonardo smiled. Oh, this man was far too attractive for anyone’s good, and he knew it, too. He completely played it up as he was talking to Leonardo. Which was flattering, honestly. He couldn’t say he didn’t like being courted in the least.

“England, actually. Well, my tutor was from England.” And the less said about her, the better. “I went to school there for a few years, then finished my doctorates in America once I came of age.”

A dark brow quirked upward. “Doctorates, as in plural?” Ezio looked intrigued. “The of age part makes me curious as well.”

Leonardo hesitated just a moment, then shrugged. “Yes, and I started college at the age of fifteen. So, tell me, what is it that you do?”

The younger man chuckled. “I work for my brother. Nepotism at its finest, you know. Though I wonder if you wouldn’t be someone I should direct his way.” A pause, and Ezio almost purred as he let his eyes roam down Leonardo again, which just got a laugh from Leo himself. Well, at least he knew that Ezio was interested. “At least for a business contact. I think that I would be very sad if you ended up liking him more. Not that Malik would approve. He’s rather possessive over Altair.”

Shifting to rest an elbow on the back of his chair, Leo chuckled. “And how do you know I don’t already have a job?” He was curious about that, though he did not have anything permanent currently, he was not hurting for work. Benefit of being a genius, honestly.

“I don’t.” That was with the same cheerful tone Ezio had used to admit all his arguments had come from sci-fi books. Didn’t seem like this man was ashamed of much, and Leo had to smile again. “But I know that I am so fascinating that you would check out the job offer just for the chance to spend more time with me.”

“You are a completely shameless and totally unrepentant flirt, aren’t you?” Leonardo asked, shaking his head. “Fine, tell me more about this job offer, and I will think about it.”

“No, I think that I will leave that to Altair. I will ask you out on a date, and try charming you to the point that you can’t bare to part from me, and will have to take the job so that you can come live me with in the States.”

That got a bit of the very delicious muffin that Leonardo had been eating tossed at his head. “Completely shameless.”

“Of course.” Ezio smiled. “Let me see your hand.”

Curious, Leonardo hesitated only a moment before offering Ezio the requested hand. The man took it, fingers brushing lightly along the skin for a few moments before turning it over, exposing Leonardo’s palm and the pale line of wrist. Pulling out a pen, Ezio rubbed his thumb along the inside of Leo’s wrist. “I shall give you my number,” he purred, clicking the pen open.

“And you couldn’t do that on a bit of paper?” Leo watched, a bit intrigued and fascinated, as Ezio brought the tip of the pen against his wrist. For some reason, watching the ink start to stain the skin made him tense up. Not in a bad way, either, and he found himself leaning in some. Ezio was doing the same, leaning in enough that Leonardo could feel the other man’s breath on his wrist.

“Of course not. Then you might lose it, no?” A slide of the cool metal traced out the first number, and Leonardo found himself staring as the curve of the five, slowly written onto his skin. The way the ink spread, following the fine lines of the skin even as it left a strangely dark line, made Leo hold his breath. Why, he didn’t know, but the focus on Ezio’s face as he wrote, and the heat of his hold holding Leonardo’s was definitely attention-getting.

The number was a standard length, but it seemed to take forever for Ezio to write, the man taking his time and making sure that each of the digits was legible before moving to the next. On one, he paused and frowned as the ink smeared a bit too much. “Ah, that won’t do,” he said absently. “I want you to be able to read it all.” He licked the thumb of the hand holding the pen, tongue a shock of pale pink as it slide against the darker skin, then he rubbed against the smeared number, smearing it more. A second swipe cleared it away totally.

Leo glanced up, and found Ezio looking at him again, eyes intent, and he thought they looked even more gold than before. Which didn’t make sense, and when he blinked in surprise, the color seemed to fade some, back to what it looked like before.

“You are an interesting man, Leonardo.” Ezio said with a smile. Then he went back to writing. The drag of the pen along his wrist made Leonardo’s fingers curl, and the urge to squirm rose up again. Why, he didn’t understand. Other people had written on him, but not since school. None of them had caused a sensation like this. Perhaps it was because of the focus Ezio had, and the fact that he was doing this simply because he wanted to make sure that Leo did not lose the number.

Strangely appealing, that.

It didn’t last long, but Leonardo admitted that he felt a bit sadden when Ezio finally settled back, clicking the pen closed and tucking it away. “There. My number is there, and I must insist that you call me, and I will take you out on a most impressive date.” He smiled at Leonardo, that strange intensity gone, replaced by a warm smile and a bit of a smug lounge back against his chair. “This, however, I don’t care if you lose. I can always get you another one.” With that, the man tugged out a small business card case and flipped through it. “I know I have one of the bastard’s cards here somewhere...Ah!”

Pulling out a white card, he offered it to Leonardo. Taking it, Leo looked it over. It was a simple business card, with a stylized A+E in the corner in red, and the name Altair Casey-Gallagher written on it, with an email, phone number, and fax number on it. No details on just what the man did in the company, and Leonardo made a mental note to contact a few people and see what they knew of the company. If it was weapons, he wouldn’t do it. Other than that....

“You don’t even know what my specializations are,” he pointed out after a moment, looking at Ezio again. “You never asked.”

“I don’t need to. You want to explore out there as well.” A gesture up and outwards, and Ezio smiled. “Or else you would not have had the information that you did when you argued with our friend. That, and I assume anyone who uses the term doctorates in the plural is smart enough to know a few things.” Ezio leaned forward, eyes locking with Leonardo’s. “I want you to join the company. It is going to do good things, great things, and I think you would like to be part of it.”

Glancing down at the card, then the number on his arm, Leonardo thought about this for a moment longer. “Let’s eat lunch, Ezio. I find myself intrigued, and after this,” a wave of his arm, “I think that we should make a few plans for dinner.”

The ink on his arm kept drawing his attention, and Leonardo had to wonder what the man was going to do at their dinner. It promised to be interesting, and if Ezio was willing to write a phone number on someone he just met, Leonardo wanted to know what he’d do with someone he got to know a little better.

So maybe Ezio wasn’t the only shameless one here, but it wasn’t as if Leonardo had ever claimed to be a good person. Ezio was fun, and he was curious just how long that would last.


End file.
